The invention pertains generally to device configuration. More specifically, the invention relates to configuring devices having hidden or otherwise protected configuration settings.
Hotel media systems often integrate equipment from different vendors such as televisions (TVs) from one vendor, set-top boxes (STBs) from another vendor, etc. Different models and versions of equipment from the same vendor may also be present. Most of this equipment needs to be configured before it will integrate with the hotel's media system. For example, an installer may need to manually configure each television to utilize a communication protocol supported by an attached STB. Likewise, each STB may need to be configured with information allowing it to communicate with a central controller. Without the proper settings, the various pieces of equipment may be unable to inter-communicate, or may be able to inter-communicate partially but errors will occur or other performance problems will be encountered. Additionally, devices may require reconfiguration after the initial installation. For example, an upgrade to a STB may require certain settings be changed on an attached TV in order to maintain compatibility, or power surges and static discharge may erase or corrupt settings and require reconfiguration of settings. A configuration mechanism in each device needs to allow configuration changes to be made by administrative and support staff; however, guests staying in the hotel must be prevented from making changes to the configuration settings of devices to avoid “breaking” the system.
In a typical consumer electronic device such as a home TV, device configuration typically takes place in a setup menu accessible from a MENU button on a remote control or front panel of the device. In this setup menu, a home user can manually set or change all settings of the device. Because configuration of media devices in a hotel media system needs to be secured from guest tampering, having such a visible and easily accessible configuration menu is not desirable for equipment utilized in a hotel system. Some devices may include a function to password protect the configuration menu; however, passwords are often forgotten and hard to manage with different staff members and vendors so this solution is rarely used in the hospitality industry.
Makers of hospitality-grade electronic devices have solved the staff-only configuration problem by introducing what are commonly known as “hidden” service-configuration menus on each piece of equipment. These hidden service-configuration menus, also known as service menus, factory menus, secret setup menus, etc., are not indicated on the device's user interface and are only accessible through a predetermined (but otherwise meaningless) sequence of commands entered via the remote control. After a certain seemingly random sequence of button presses on a remote control, an installer or administrator is able to access a hidden setup menu. The hidden menu may include one or more low-level configuration settings such as communication protocols, modes, feature set enabling/disabling, maximum volume settings, authorized channel sets, etc.
For example, entering a hidden service-configuration menu on a particular TV may involve a sequence of commands such as:
1. Hold down MENU
2. Press 9
3. Press 8
4. Press INFO
5. Press EXIT
As the above command sequence will not normally be known to a guest and is highly unlikely to be encountered in normal operation, guests are generally prevented from entering the hidden service-configuration menu on the TV. If a guest reports that a particular device such as the TV is having a problem, an administrator goes into the room to use the remote in order to press the special sequence of buttons to enter the hidden service-configuration menu and check to see that the configuration settings are correct. In this way, the predetermined command sequences operate similar to passwords and are known only to service personnel and staff who may need to check configuration settings.
The particular command sequence to enter the service menu for a particular model of a device is usually published in a service manual for that device. Because service manuals tend to get lost or misplaced, such information is also commonly available online at manufacturers' web sites. Performing an Internet search for the brand, model number, and the phrase “service menu” often results in the predetermined sequence of key presses on the remote required to enter the hidden service-configuration menu for any given device. In this way, a determined guest may still find a way to enter the service menu.
To further increase security and prevent the above problem, some manufactures offer two remote controls: one for guest usage, and one for staff usage. Performing the proper sequence of commands on the staff-remote will enter the hidden service-configuration menu of the device, while performing the same sequence on the guest-remote will not. The staff-remote may also require a predetermined command sequence (and possibly the switching of the remote into a staff-remote mode via a physical switch on the remote) to enter the hidden service-configuration menu so that the staff-remote could be utilized by a guest in an emergency (e.g., the guest's remote is broken). If the staff-remote is only ever going to be used by support staff, the staff-remote may be used as an administrator interface of the device and include a special button to directly enter the hidden service-configuration menu. This special button is not present on the guest-remote and is not available via the user interface of the device. Because only the staff-remote can enter the service menu, the staff-remote is generally only used to setup the device during installation and is thereafter kept at the front desk or with support personnel in case reconfiguration is required. The guest-remote is placed in the hotel room for guest usage. In this way, guests are prevented from entering the hidden service-configuration menu using the guest-remote even if they know the predetermined command sequence.
As each of the above solutions may be used by different vendors, installers and administrators of large hotels or other hospitality establishments having a variety of types and models of media equipment must carry with them numerous remotes and remember the sequences of button presses utilized to access the secret service menus for several different devices. This creates a logistical problem of tracking and maintaining the important but rarely used set of staff-remotes and keeping track of which command sequences are required to enter the hidden service-configuration menu for each device in each room. In a worse-case support call, if the required staff-remote or command sequence is lost or unavailable for some reason (i.e., staff-remote is broken and/or command sequence is incorrect), administrators may be unable to solve a guest's problem with a particular device.